News | Newyddion

AM welcomes new measures to encourage the best graduates into teaching

January 7, 20140

Labour AM for the Vale of Clwyd, Ann Jones has welcomed the news that the Welsh Labour Government is to introduce new financial incentives of up to £20,000 for top postgraduate students who want to train to teach priority subjects such as maths, physics and chemistry in Wales.

Eligible postgraduate trainee teachers with a first class degree will receive the highest funding in 2014/15, with progressively lower amounts for those with a 2.1 or 2.2. Funding will not be available for those without at least a 2.2 degree classification.

Mrs Jones who also serves as Chair of the Assembly’s Children and Young People Committee said:
“In order to improve teaching and learning, we need to most talented and able graduates to train and teach in Wales.

“Recruitment has proven difficult in certain subjects where a great deal of detailed subject knowledge is required. These new incentives will hopefully encourage our brightest graduates to consider teaching as a profession. This is just another example of how the Welsh Government is determined to raise educational standards across Wales”.

Medium priority incentives of up to £15,000 will be available for those studying Welsh, modern foreign languages and ICT. For those with a first class degree studying all other secondary postgraduate and primary studies teacher training courses a £3,000 incentive will be available.

A further supplement of £2,000 is being made available to those undertaking primary postgraduate courses whose first class degree classification is in the subjects of English, mathematics and Welsh to raise standards in literacy and numeracy and recognise subject specialism in core subjects in primary.